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Windgate Gallery to host reception, feature Women of a New Tribe, Creative Mind

A photography exhibit entitled Women of a New Tribe will be displayed at Windgate Gallery Jan. 14 – Feb. 23, 2019, in The Center for Humanities and Arts.

Opening the same day, The Creative Mind, a traveling exhibit that celebrates the contributions of African Americans to medicine, mathematics, engineering, and all branches of science, will be displayed Jan. 14 – April 1, 2019 in the lobby of The Center for Humanities and Arts.

An opening night reception for both exhibitions will be held 6 - 8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 18, and will include a gallery talk at 6:30 p.m. with Garbo Watson Hearne, Director, Hearne Fine Art in Little Rock.

Music will be provided by Dr. Barry McVinney on saxophone and Julia Buckingham on piano. The reception and exhibit are both free and fully accessible to the public.

Women of a New Tribe is a photographic study of the physical and spiritual beauty of the black American women we see around us every day.

Photographed by Jerry Taliaferro, the women portrayed represent the black woman in many of her physical and social manifestations. The subjects are from all walks of life and include the young and the old, mothers and daughters, artists and professionals. What is unique about Women of a New Tribe is its treatment of the subjects. The women were meticulously photographed in a style reminiscence of the photography of 1930's and 1940's Hollywood. The purpose for doing this is twofold: First, to use the drama produced by the powerful lighting to grab and hold the attention of the viewer. Second, to use the starkness of black and white images to present the viewer an unencumbered look at the souls of this incredibly diverse group of women. Rarely have black women been portrayed in such a soul-touching way. This project has been called "powerful" and "uplifting".

On loan from the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C., The Creative Mind features the careers and achievements of some of today’s outstanding black scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and medical professionals and highlights the work of notable figures from the past. A “Did You Know?” section brings in additional information about each field, pointing to future career possibilities for creative minds of the next generation.

The exhibit consists of seven colorful, flexible panels devoted to medicine, mathematics, engineering, biological sciences, physical sciences, and social sciences. The Creative Mind made its debut in 2012 at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia and at the Koshland Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences, in Washington, D.C. Since then, it has been exhibited nationally. It is on view from April 2 to July 2, 2018 at the Department of Physics, Washington University, Seattle.

Garbo Watson Hearne is the director of Pyramid Art, Books & Custom Framing/Hearne Fine Art in the historic Dunbar neighborhood in Little Rock, Arkansas. Since 1988, her business has focused on African American culture through art and literature. In 2004, Hearne earned her certificate for Appraisal Studies in Fine and Decorative Arts from New York University. In 2014 she was accepted as a certified member of the Appraisers Association of America with a specialization in African American Fine Art.

Windgate Gallery hours are 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Fridays; and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays. Admission is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Windgate Gallery and CHARTS Theater Coordinator Debra Wood at (501) 812-2715 or [email protected].